Who needs a flexible workplace?

What do workers with chronic illness need to thrive in their jobs? When I was asked to speak to an audience of doctors and employers, I said that FLEXIBILITY RULES.

It’s hard for healthy people to realize how important work/life balance is for those with chronic illness — when health demands impact a “normal” work schedule. With a whopping 45% of the American workforce living with chronic illness, that’s a lot of people.

Yet both men and women who show interest in work/life balance – -or the need for more flexibility in their work – – are often perceived as demanding, difficult employees. It’s especially true for those with chronic illness.

Just today, a client (with severe asthma and migraines) emailed to tell me that she got a poor performance review. She has the support from senior management to work at home when she’s not well. But her supervisor hasn’t been happy about it. Her supervisor’s primary complaint? The team complains that she behaves like she’s entitled to this special treatment and resent her for it. Working at home is creating the impression that she doesn’t care about the team as much as she cares about her own needs.

Whose problem is this, anyway?

Why is it so difficult to realize this simple truth? People are more likely to deliver their best performance when they can keep their work life and the rest of their lives in a state of balance.

About Rosalind Joffe

Comments

Oh — how I can relate to this! I’ve been on both ends of the stick here. I was given special accommodation to work at home one day a week — and was resented by all the working Moms who wanted that, as well as a young woman who was a member of a racial minority group, who felt she had been given the short-shrift overall. When my reporting structure changed, my telecommute went away, I got super-sick, the rest is disability history …

Now, I utilize a monthly cleaning service to do the heavy lifting around my home. My cleaning lady, who doesn’t get benefits or paid time off from her employer, is suffering from Bell’s Palsey, and has been doing a substandard job for the last several months. What do I do? I felt so bad for her I didn’t comment — but then things got really filthy, and I found myself doing her job and asking myself what I was paying her for. When I gave her very polite and more pointed instruction on how and what to clean — she seemed offended and crestfallen. This is a woman on the brink. I spoke to her directly, not to her employer — because I don’t want her to take flack from him, it’s more fair to deal directly. Rosalind — any advice?

As always, Christina, I can relate to your stories also. About the cleaning lady, I so understand the dilemma. Of course you want to err on the side of the worker, esp one w/chronic health problems. It would be different if she was a slacker – but it sounds as if you don’t think that’s the issue. On the other hand, can you physically afford to do the job you’re paying her to do? I always tell employers that they have to hold to the same performance standards with all employees. And employees have to be able to to do the job. In the end, you’ve got to decide whether you can “afford” to keep her on or hot. No advice, only questions from me, the coach, as always.

Well — after I asked, she did seem to have done somewhat of a more careful job — but really, not the thorough job I need, and that I could get for the same money.

This is the issue — she works for a service that mandates she does about six houses a day. So I only get an hour and a half. Whereas it would really take half a day for a thorough cleaning. When I’ve had renovations and asked her to do more — she said she didn’t have time.

I have her cell phone — I may call her and ask her if she’d be willing to do the job my way — longer and better — and get to keep all the money, instead of having most of it go to her boss — as I’m sure is the case now. I’d rather give her that option, rather than go to another self-employed cleaner.

It is difficult for an employer to accomodate everyone because there are just too many different things that might be needed. I know for me, choosing to work from home in my coaching practice was a better fit since I can recline on my futon in my office to take the strain off my back. An regular office could not allow this.